Semi-Open · a defense for Black

Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Battery Variation

17/17
1.e4c52.Nf3d63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3g66.Be2Bg77.O-OO-O8.Be3Nc69.Qd2
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation, Battery Variation90k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
24%22k53%
21%19k52%
15%14k50%
12%11k52%
10%9.1k48%
5.2%4.7k52%
2.9%2.6k52%
2.9%2.6k52%
1.6%1.5k40%
1%87751%
Famous games in this line401 master games
Kamsky, Gata (2725) – Carlsen, Magnus (2776)20091–0Kamsky, Gata (2720) – Radjabov, Teimour (2756)2009½–½Kamsky, Gata (2713) – Gashimov, Vugar (2719)2010½–½Navara, D. (2681) – Erigaisi, Arjun (2725)20220–1Navara, David (2654) – Ivanchuk, Vassily (2746)2009½–½Short, Nigel D (2663) – Motylev, Alexander (2676)2009½–½Predke, A. (2622) – Jones, G. (2682)20180–1Kovchan, A. (2583) – Kryvoruchko, Y. (2711)2015½–½
Heroes of this opening Kamsky, Gata · Erigaisi, Arjun · Jones, G.
Family
Sicilian Defense
Category
Semi-Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
B73
Line
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be2 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. Be3 Nc6 9. Qd2
Sharp
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Nearby lines in the family
Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation, Moscow Gambit3.Bb5 Nc6 4.O-O Bd7 5.c3 Nf6 …Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Fischer Variation2…Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 …Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Main Line6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nc6 …
From the archives

No reply to 1.e4 is played more. Fischer made the Najdorf his main weapon, and Kasparov's Sicilians are pillars of chess history — the Scheveningen against Karpov, the Dragon he unveiled against Anand in 1995. When you play 1...c5 you refuse symmetry, the same refusal that carried two world champions.

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